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Managing Community Investments and Benefits

Target Audience

This course is intended for a broad range of public and private sector, and civil society stakeholders involved in the implementation of community investments and benefits (CIB) and socio-economic development (SED) in the renewable energy sector. 

Course Aims

The course aims to equip participants with the tools to plan, implement, monitor, and report on CIB and SED interventions.

Course Content

  • Defining community investments and benefits (CIB) and socio-economic development (SED), including the historical legacy, key drivers and objectives for renewable energy projects
  • An introduction to the full spectrum of available CIB and SED options for communities impacted by renewable energy projects.
  • Key challenges to implementing successful CIB and SED interventions, including ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements
  • Introducing Theory of Change in the context of CIB and SED delivery
  • An overview of the CIB and SED planning, implementation and monitoring process and approaches such as Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) and People-Centred Design.
  • Introduction to specific CIB and SED delivery mechanisms:
    • Job creation and enterprise development
    • Community Trusts
    • Local development planning
    • Etc.
  • Important considerations for the planning and implementation of CIB and SED such as targeting vulnerable groups, conflict-sensitive approaches 
  • Stakeholder engagement and collaboration for CIB and SED projects, including the development of partnerships 
  • Monitoring and evaluation of CIB and SED projects
  • Analysing internal organisational conditions for successful CIB and SED implementation
  • Case studies and practical application

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the student should be able to:

  • Better understand the paradigms and complexities that influence CIB and SED delivery, as well as their impacts on communities.
  • Understand different approaches to achieving CIB and SED for communities impacted by renewable energy projects.
  • Plan, implement, monitor and exit from CIB and SED interventions
  • Critically assess CIB and SED interventions and partnerships
  • Evaluate the different mechanisms for community investment and benefit distribution.
  • Interpret and incorporate key regulatory requirements for renewable energy CIB and SED interventions.
  • Identify personal and institutional impediments and the capacities required for effective community investment and benefit distribution.

Course Format

Online – over two weeks with self-study time and live zoom sessions of between 2-3 hours

Total Course Hours

32 hours study time (online sessions + self-study)

About this course

This course has been developed by Synergy Global Consulting and is delivered in partnership with the Wits Mining Institute.

Disclaimer: This project is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this project are the sole responsibility of the Initiative for Social Performance in Renewable Energy (INSPIRE) and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.